Fishermen and equipment, 1785-1788.

Engraving by Bodenehr after J C W Rosenberg from 'Ichthyologie' by Marcus Bloch (1723-1799). Bloch's famous work on the natural history of fish, published in Berlin, 1785-1788, set out to describe and illustrate the fish of the known world. Its remarkable plates are heightened with silver and gold to imitate the sheen of fish scales. Interest in fishing as a leisure activity was growing and Bloch was helped by many individuals who sent him fish from all over the world.